League of Legends has released Patch 12.1, starting off 2022 with a handful of item and champion changes along with some fancy new Elderwood skins. That’s not all players of the MOBA can expect during the new year, and Riot Games is generating plenty of hype with a new video showing everything coming to League during the next twelve months. From gameplay updates to new champions, 2022 is looking like another packed year for the title, which saw 180 million players worldwide in October 2021.
Check out the full video below:
Patch 12.2, expected on January 19, will introduce a new champion, Zeri. Known as ‘The Spark of Zaun,’ she will be a marksman champion who “channels her electric magic to charge herself and her custom-crafted gun.” Her powers will give her an incredibly strong shield, while also allowing her to steal shields from enemy heroes. Her magic will deal wide damage while also buffing her own damage and boosting her movement speed. Three more champions are expected this year, including an Enchanter-style support character, a ‘less-conventional’ addition, and a jungler.
12.2 will also introduce new Firecracker skins for Sett, Diana, Teemo, Tristana, and Xin Zhao as a way to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
League of Legends esports will start the 2022 season on January 14 with the LCS Lock-In qualifiers leading to a single-elimination tournament on January 30. The Wild Rift mobile game will be getting four new champions over the next two patches, with Sett and Yuumi coming in the 3.0 update and Karma and Shen in 3.1. League of Legends: Wild Rift will also see some map alterations, and will have its own esports tournament for the first time this year. Eight global regions will compete later this summer.
League of Legends is free-to-play on PC. A Netflix series based on the game, Arcane, premiered in November 2021. Riot Games is currently working on Project L, a fighting game featuring League‘s cast of characters.